In her Tuesday presentation at Staples, Somers was up front in recalling that 20 years ago “I made a mistake” involving a child left sleeping on a bus. She said she learned many lessons from the experience which made her a better teacher and administrator.
The Board of Education met with Somers in executive session late Tuesday and was expected to vote on Somer’s application at its June 1 meeting.
Landon said he will begin the search for an interim Staples principal.
Somers is the second finalist to pull an application for the job. Louis Moore of Franklin Lakes, N.J. withdrew following an interview with Staples parents in March. (See WestportNow March 17, 2015)
Somers, who was named middle school principal of the year this year, had prematurely announced a week ago that she had accepted the Staples job. (See WestportNow March 20, 2015)
She and Greenwich Superintendent of Schools William S. McKersie later apologized to Landon and the Westport community for jumping the gun.
In her meeting with Staples parents in the cafeteria on Tuesday morning, Somers faced a number of questions about how a middle school principal was prepared to head a high school.
She was candid in describing the incident at a daycare center she operated involving the child left sleeping on a bus. She said she did not do a second headcount.
While no harm came to the child, she was dogged by the incident and eventually closed down her daycare center.
Some Staples parents dug up that incident on Google, and one made further comments at Tuesday’s meeting, questioning whether Somers was forced to shut down, to which she and Landon said was untrue.
“She called me late last night, and she indicated she was withdrawing,” said Landon. “She didn’t give a specific reason.”
“We’re going to go out and get interim, someone who is retired,” said Landon, adding that he would not appoint an internal person as an interim.
“I’m going to go outside, and if anybody on the inside wants to apply they might as well,” he said.
He said that the interim position would be for one year, and that he hopes to have a person in place by the start of the fiscal year beginning July 1.
“We hope for July 1; we’ll do our best,” Landon said.
The Board of Education has been searching for a Staples principal since December when Principal John Dodig announced he would be retiring at the end of the school year. Dodig came to Staples in 2004, starting out as an interim principal.
—James Lomuscio contributed reporting.
In her Tuesday presentation at Staples, Somers was up front in recalling that 20 years ago “I made a mistake” involving a child left sleeping on a bus. She said she learned many lessons from the experience which made her a better teacher and administrator.
The Board of Education met with Somers in executive session late Tuesday and was expected to vote on Somer’s application at its June 1 meeting.
Landon said he will begin the search for an interim Staples principal.
Somers is the second finalist to pull an application for the job. Louis Moore of Franklin Lakes, N.J. withdrew following an interview with Staples parents in March. (See WestportNow March 17, 2015)
Somers, who was named middle school principal of the year this year, had prematurely announced a week ago that she had accepted the Staples job. (See WestportNow March 20, 2015)
She and Greenwich Superintendent of Schools William S. McKersie later apologized to Landon and the Westport community for jumping the gun.
In her meeting with Staples parents in the cafeteria on Tuesday morning, Somers faced a number of questions about how a middle school principal was prepared to head a high school.
She was candid in describing the incident at a daycare center she operated involving the child left sleeping on a bus. She said she did not do a second headcount.
While no harm came to the child, she was dogged by the incident and eventually closed down her daycare center.
Some Staples parents dug up that incident on Google, and one made further comments at Tuesday’s meeting, questioning whether Somers was forced to shut down, to which she and Landon said was untrue.
“She called me late last night, and she indicated she was withdrawing,” said Landon. “She didn’t give a specific reason.”
“We’re going to go out and get interim, someone who is retired,” said Landon, adding that he would not appoint an internal person as an interim.
“I’m going to go outside, and if anybody on the inside wants to apply they might as well,” he said.
He said that the interim position would be for one year, and that he hopes to have a person in place by the start of the fiscal year beginning July 1.
“We hope for July 1; we’ll do our best,” Landon said.
The Board of Education has been searching for a Staples principal since December when Principal John Dodig announced he would be retiring at the end of the school year. Dodig came to Staples in 2004, starting out as an interim principal.
—James Lomuscio contributed reporting.
Which is worse, a person who isn’t absolutely perfect or years of drift without leadership in place? How long did it take to get a stable Principal at Bedford Middle? I’ve yet to meet an absolutely perfect person. Doubt I ever will.
We have elected officials to vet exactly these types of questions, and while I can quibble with many of their decisions (definitely!), the people on the Board of Ed are a great bunch doing amazing things and for no monetary compensation to boot. Did this line of inquiry really have to be so public and apparently so harsh? Personally, I believe they are best handled behind scene with members of the Board to see if they were satisfied with the answers. They will most likely have the full backstory and more often than not, they will have worked through any lingering issues. For those who are so concerned, did you try this first?
Strong capable leadership takes time to mature and people stumble before they find their greatness. I can’t help but wonder if a great opportunity here has been scuttled but to avert what enemy exactly?
Shame on us for employing a hiring process that requires the participation of the general public. I know of no other hiring process
The “trial by ordeal” component of the hiring process, where an outstanding candidate is forced to endure a barrage of questions by hostile Westport parents bringing up mistakes made 20 years ago, should be eliminated in my opinion.
If, as one commentator states, the parents come across as “hostile, entitled and ungrateful” , they probably are.
Imagine teaching in that environment.
John Dodig can fill in for about 150K until the correct responder is found.